World of Warships Guide: Quick Tips for Naval Warfare Dominance

The Naval Academy – Foundational Knowledge for Every World of Warships Captain

Before you can command a fleet, you must first master your own ship. ⚓ This section is your boot camp, covering the non-negotiable fundamentals every captain must know to survive and thrive in World of Warships.

Setting Up Your Bridge: Essential UI and Control Settings

Your success in World of Warships begins before you even fire a shot. A properly configured user interface (UI) transforms you from a passenger to a commander, providing the situational awareness needed to make winning decisions.

Enlarge Your Minimap. 🗺️ The minimap is the single most important tool you have. By default, it’s too small. Press the + key several times at the start of every match until it is as large as you can tolerate.
Configure Your Minimap. Once enlarged, hold the Ctrl key to free your cursor. Click the small cogwheel icon at the top corner of the minimap.
- Enable All Range Circles. In the minimap menu, check the boxes for your gun range, torpedo range, AA range, and, most importantly, your concealment range.
- Turn On “Last Known Position”. Also in the minimap menu, enable the “Last known position on map” option. This will display a faint icon of where an enemy ship was last spotted.
Activate the Full Alternative Interface Mode. Go to Settings > Controls. Find the “Alternative Interface Mode” dropdown and select “Full”. This permanently displays crucial information above every ship without you having to press any keys.
Disable the Collision Avoidance System. 🚫 In the same Controls menu, uncheck the box for the “Collision Avoidance System.” This automated system can override your commands at critical moments.
Look Around Freely. 👀 You can look around without moving your gun turrets by holding the right mouse button. This is essential for maintaining aim while checking your surroundings.

Know Your Arsenal: A Guide to Shells and Gunnery in World of Warships 🔫

Your guns are your primary voice in World of Warships. Learning their language—the different types of ammunition and how to use them—is fundamental.

Use High-Explosive (HE) Shells for Fires and Soft Targets. 🔥 HE shells (yellow glow) explode on impact. They are best against lightly armored targets like destroyers or to set fires on heavily armored battleships.
Use Armor-Piercing (AP) Shells for Broadside Targets. 💥 AP shells (white glow) are designed to punch through armor. They are devastating against the exposed side (broadside) of cruisers and battleships, where they can hit the “citadel” for massive damage.
Use Semi-Armor-Piercing (SAP) Shells for High Alpha Damage. Found on Italian ships, SAP shells (red glow) combine traits of HE and AP. They have high damage but cannot start fires.

Shell Type	Primary Use	Strengths	Weaknesses
HE 🔥	Setting fires; damaging destroyers and modules.	Starts fires; consistent damage on angled targets.	Low penetration; shatters on heavy armor.
AP 💥	Punishing broadside cruisers and battleships.	High citadel damage potential; overmatch mechanic.	Bounces off angled armor; overpenetrates destroyers.
SAP	Dealing high direct damage to light armor.	High damage; improved ricochet angles.	No fires; cannot penetrate multiple armor layers.

Switch Ammunition Strategically. Before you fire, assess your target. Is it a broadside cruiser? Load AP. Is it an angled battleship? Load HE.
Train the “Gun Feeder” Skill. This 1-point commander skill dramatically reduces the time it takes to switch shell types.
Lead Your Targets. 🎯 Shells have travel time. You must aim ahead of a moving target. The further away, the more you need to “lead.”
Use the Dynamic Crosshair. In the settings, select the “Dynamic” crosshair. Its numbered ticks are calibrated to help you aim.

The Heart of the Ship: Understanding Armor, Citadels, and Angling ❤️

Surviving in World of Warships is not about avoiding getting shot; it’s about knowing how to take a punch.

Understand the Citadel. The citadel is the armored heart of your ship, protecting the engines and magazines. A shell that penetrates it deals maximum damage.
Use the Armor Viewer. 🛡️ In Port, you can inspect the armor layout of any ship. Use this tool to learn where citadels are and to understand your own armor scheme.
NEVER Show Your Broadside. 🚫 This is the golden rule. Sailing with your side fully exposed to an enemy battleship is an invitation to be sent back to port in a single salvo.
Angle Your Armor. To survive, you must angle your ship. Point your bow (or stern) towards the enemy at a shallow angle (~30 degrees). This dramatically increases effective armor thickness, causing many AP shells to bounce.
Learn About Overmatch. Angling is not foolproof. If an enemy’s AP shell caliber is large enough (14.3 times your armor thickness), it will penetrate regardless of angle.

Mastering the Unseen: The World of Warships Spotting & Concealment System 👀

Know Your Concealment Range. Every ship has a concealment rating, represented by a circle on your minimap. When an enemy ship with line of sight enters this circle, you become “spotted.”
Understand Gun Bloom. When you fire your main guns, your concealment range “blooms” out to your maximum gun range for 20 seconds.
Cease Fire to Go Dark. 🤫 To disengage, simply stop shooting. After 20 seconds, your detection range will shrink back to normal, and you will become invisible again if no enemies are inside that smaller circle.
Use Islands and Smoke for Cover. Hard cover like islands and soft cover like smoke screens block the line of sight.
Beware of Proximity Spotting. All ships have a 2 km “assured detection” radius. Any enemy ship that enters this range will automatically spot you, regardless of islands or smoke.

Damage Control 101: Managing Fires, Flooding, and Repairs 👨‍🚒

Don’t Use Your Damage Control Party on a Single Fire. 🔥 The “Damage Control Party” consumable has a long cooldown. Using it to put out a single fire leaves you vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
Prioritize Repairing Floods. 💧 Flooding is more dangerous than fire. It drains health and significantly reduces your ship’s speed. Use your Damage Control Party to fix a flood immediately.
Use Your Repair Party (“Heal”) Wisely. ❤️‍🩹 Many ships have a “Repair Party” consumable that regenerates lost health. Use it after you have disengaged from combat to maximize its effect.
Understand Healable Damage. Damage from fires, flooding, and normal shell penetrations is highly recoverable. However, damage to your citadel is much less recoverable.

Class Specialization – Finding Your Role on the High Seas ⚓

After graduating from the Naval Academy, it’s time to choose your career. Each ship class has a unique role to play.

The Tip of the Spear: World of Warships Destroyer Tactics 🚤

Destroyers are the scouts, assassins, and objective-takers of the fleet. They are high-risk, high-reward ships.

Spot for the Team. Your primary job is to be the eyes of the fleet. Your low concealment allows you to spot enemies before they see you.
Contest Capture Points. 🚩 Destroyers are the best class for capturing and contesting key areas on the map.
Survival is Your Top Priority. A destroyer is most influential late in the game. Rushing in and dying in the first few minutes is the worst mistake.
Concealment is Your Life. Destroyers have very little health and almost no armor. Your best defense is not being seen.
Get “Concealment Expert” ASAP. The single most important commander skill for a destroyer is the 4-point “Concealment Expert.”
Know Your DD Type: Gunboat. Gunboat destroyers (USA, Germany) have rapid-firing guns and excel at hunting enemy destroyers.
Know Your DD Type: Torpedo Boat. Torpedo boat destroyers (Japanese Shimakaze line) rely on stealth and powerful, long-range torpedoes.
Use Torpedoes for Area Denial. Firing a spread of torpedoes into a strategic channel or smoke screen can force enemies to turn away.
Don’t Sit Still in Smoke. 💨 A stationary smoke cloud is a magnet for enemy torpedoes. Keep moving back and forth within it.
Always Have an Escape Plan. Before you push into a capture point, identify your path to safety.

The Jack-of-All-Trades: World of Warships Cruiser Strategies 🚢

Cruisers are the versatile backbone of any fleet. They are adaptable warships that can perform a wide variety of roles.

Hunt Enemy Destroyers. With rapid-firing guns and utility consumables, cruisers are the natural predators of destroyers.
Provide Anti-Aircraft (AA) Support. ✈️ Many cruisers have powerful AA defenses. Escort your fleet’s battleships to protect them from carriers.
Use Islands for Cover. Most cruisers are fragile. Use islands as impenetrable shields to block fire.
Master the Art of “Kiting”. Kiting is sailing away from an enemy while firing your guns. This makes you a difficult, angled target.
Know Your Radar Range. 📡 Many high-tier cruisers carry Surveillance Radar. Use it to expose hidden destroyers.
Use Hydro to Spot Torpedoes. Hydroacoustic Search spots both ships and torpedoes at close range, even through islands.
Prioritize Destroyers First. Your target priority should almost always be the closest enemy destroyer.
Punish Broadside Cruisers. After destroyers, your next priority is any enemy cruiser showing its broadside. Switch to AP and aim for their citadel.

The Floating Fortress: World of Warships Battleship Doctrine 🏰

Battleships are the titans of the sea, wielding the most powerful guns. Their role is to control space and deliver decisive blows.

Absorb Damage for Your Team. You have the largest health pool for a reason. Your job is to be a frontline presence, drawing enemy fire.
Create Crossfires. The key to effective battleship play is positioning. Spread out from other battleships to create different angles of attack.
Don’t Herd with Other Battleships. Grouping up makes you an easy target for torpedoes and focus fire.
Make Your Salvos Count. ⏳ Your guns have a long reload. Be patient. Wait for the perfect shot on a broadside target.
Shoot Destroyers on Sight. If a destroyer is spotted, it immediately becomes your highest priority target.
Percentage Damage Earns More XP. Dealing 10,000 damage to a destroyer is worth far more than dealing 10,000 damage to a battleship.
Constantly Maneuver. Never sail in a straight line at a constant speed. This makes you predictable and easy prey for torpedoes.
Bow/Stern Tanking is Your Friend. When under fire, keep your bow or stern pointed towards the enemy to maximize your armor’s effectiveness.

The Eye in the Sky: World of Warships Aircraft Carrier Operations ✈️

Aircraft carriers offer a unique, strategic perspective. They are the ultimate support class, providing intelligence and striking anywhere.

Spotting is Your Main Job. Your most powerful weapon is vision. At the start of the match, spot the enemy team’s deployment, especially their destroyers.
Prioritize Key Targets. Your target priority should be strategic: 1) Destroyers, 2) Radar Cruisers, 3) Low-health ships.
Don’t Waste Planes on AA Blobs. Avoid flying directly into large groups of enemy ships with overlapping anti-aircraft fire.
Use Roundabout Attack Routes. To preserve your planes, fly around clusters of enemies to approach your target from an undefended angle.
Master the Strike-Recall Technique. After your first attack, immediately press the F key. This will send the rest of your squadron back to the carrier, saving them from AA.
Position Your Carrier Actively. Do not hide in the back corner. Stay 15-20 km behind your main fleet and move up as they advance.
Use the Autopilot. While controlling squadrons, use the tactical map (M key) to set waypoints for your carrier’s hull.
Drop Fighters for Your Team. Use your “Patrol Fighter” consumable to provide air cover for friendly destroyers or to keep an enemy spotted.

Silent Hunters: How to Play and Counter Submarines in World of Warships 🤫

Destroyers are the Best Sub Hunters. With high speed and powerful depth charges, destroyers are the primary counter to submarines.
Use Hydroacoustic Search. This consumable is your best tool for detecting a submerged submarine.
Watch for Sonar Pings. When a sub uses homing torpedoes, it will “ping” your ship. This appears as a visual and audio cue.
Clear Pings with Damage Control. You can nullify the homing effect by using your “Damage Control Party” consumable.
Look for Oil Slicks. A damaged submarine will leak fuel, creating an oil slick on the surface that reveals its position.
Use Airstrike Depth Charges. Many battleships and cruisers are equipped with airstrikes that drop depth charges. Lead the sub’s predicted path.
Keep Maneuvering. The best defense is to never sail in a straight, predictable line.

Advanced Fleet Command – Tactics for Veteran Captains 🧠

Once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to think like an admiral. Advanced tactics are about strategy, map control, and outthinking your opponent.

Reading the Tides: Mastering Map Awareness in World of Warships

Analyze the First 3 Minutes. The opening phase often decides the outcome. Watch the minimap to see how both teams are deploying.
Don’t Be the First to Die. Early aggression is often punished. A ship lost in the opening minutes puts your team at a significant disadvantage.
Identify the Strong and Weak Flanks. A “strong flank” is where your team has a numerical or ship-type advantage. Push your strong flank and delay on your weak flank.
Know When to Push. If your flank has a clear advantage, it’s time to push aggressively.
Know When to Kite. If you are outnumbered, turn away, kite, and delay the enemy’s advance.
Use Islands to Control Engagements. Use islands to isolate a single enemy ship to fight while being immune to fire from its teammates.
Play the Objective. 🚩 Victory is achieved by points, primarily gained by controlling capture zones.

The Art of the Duel: Advanced Evasion and Gunnery

Use “Throttle Juking”. To dodge incoming fire, constantly vary your speed between 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full.
Bait Enemy Salvos. You can trick an enemy into wasting a shot. Briefly show more of your side to tempt them, then immediately angle sharply to bounce their shells.
Stagger Your Torpedo Salvos. Instead of firing all torpedoes on the lead indicator, fire one set on it and a second slightly ahead or behind it.
Use Wide Spreads to Zone. The wide torpedo spread is excellent for area denial.
Focus Fire to Remove Guns. A ship with 1 HP can shoot just as effectively as a full-HP ship. Always prioritize finishing low-health targets.
Target Modules with HE. When firing HE, you can aim to permanently destroy specific modules like torpedo tubes.
Aim for Superstructure on Angled Targets. When firing AP at a heavily angled target, aim for the superstructure (the “buildings” on top) for penetration damage.

Teamwork Triumphs: Synergizing with Your Fleet for Victory 🤝

Play in a Division. Teaming up with friends is the best way to experience coordinated gameplay.
Communicate with Quick Commands. Use the quick command wheel (hold B) to signal your intentions.
Ping the Minimap. Draw your team’s attention to threats by holding Ctrl and clicking on the minimap.
Analyze the Enemy Roster Pre-Battle. At the start, press Tab. Take note of critical threats: How many destroyers? Are there radar cruisers?
Fulfill Your Role. A destroyer spots for a battleship. A cruiser protects the battleship. A carrier provides vision.
Protect Your Spotters. Your team’s destroyers are its most valuable asset. Support them.

The Admiral’s Office – Mastering the World of Warships Meta 🧑‍✈️

The battle is only half the fight. Long-term success requires mastering the out-of-game systems: commanders, economy, and resources.

Your Crew is Key: A Guide to World of Warships Commander Skills

Keep and Retrain Your Captains. When you unlock a new ship, transfer its captain and retrain them.
Aim for a 10-Point Captain First. A commander with 10 skill points can unlock a powerful Tier 4 skill.
Use Elite Commander XP. Once a commander reaches 21 points, any further XP they earn is converted into Elite Commander XP, which can be used to boost other commanders.
Essential Destroyer Skill: Last Stand. This 2-point skill allows your engine and steering to continue functioning after being incapacitated.
Essential Cruiser Skill: Priority Target. This 2-point skill shows you how many enemy ships are aiming at you.
Essential Battleship Skill: Fire Prevention. This 4-point skill reduces the number of fires that can be set on your ship.
Essential Carrier Skill: Sight Stabilization. This 3-point skill speeds up the aiming time of your aircraft.
Look for Special Commanders. The game features unique historical commanders with enhanced skills.

Fueling the Fleet: A Primer on the World of Warships In-Game Economy 💰

Understand the Currencies. Learn the basic currencies: Credits, Experience (XP), Free XP, Coal, Steel, and Doubloons.
Premium Ships Earn More Credits. Playing a good game in a Tier VIII premium ship is one of the most effective ways to earn credits.
Operations Can Be Profitable. The PvE “Operations” mode can be a stable and less stressful way to earn credits.
Choose “More Coal” Daily Containers. 📦 Every day, you can earn up to three containers. Always choose the “More Resources” container for a steady income of Coal.
Complete Daily Missions. Check your combat missions tab every day for signals, bonuses, and resources.
Sell Unused Stock Modules. When you upgrade a ship’s modules, sell the old stock ones from your Inventory.
Sell Unwanted Cosmetic Camouflages. If you have cosmetic camos with no economic bonuses, sell them.
Use Economic Bonuses Wisely. Save your best credit and XP bonuses for ships you perform well in.
Premium Account is a Good Investment. If you play regularly, a Premium Account (+50% credits, +65% XP) is the most efficient way to speed up progress.

Continuing Education: Leveraging Community Resources 📚

Watch Quality Streamers and YouTubers. Watching experienced players is one of the best ways to learn.
Use the Official Wiki. The official World of Warships Wiki is a treasure trove of detailed information.
Use Third-Party Stat Sites. Websites like wows-numbers.com allow you to track your performance.
Review Your Own Replays. 🎥 The game automatically saves replays. Watch your bad games to see what you could have done differently.
Join a Clan. Joining a clan provides economic bonuses and a community of players to learn from.
Participate in Public Tests. Participating in the Public Test Server often rewards you with resources on your main account.
Check for Twitch Drops. 💧 Link your accounts to earn rewards simply by watching streams.

Full Speed Ahead!

Your journey from a nervous cadet to a confident admiral has begun. The sea is a demanding teacher, but a rewarding one. The core principles—map awareness, angling, target priority, and teamwork—are your compass and your charts.

Remember that every battle is a lesson. Experiment, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but always strive to learn from them. The ocean is vast, and there is always a new horizon to chase.

Fair winds and following seas, Captain! 🌊

Disclaimer: This is an unofficial fan work, all trademarks and copyrights for World of Warships belong to the developer Wargaming Group Limited.

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